Dash-foot.



Patented Apr. 9, I901. J. (l. JUVENILE.

DASH FUUT.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 1901,)

(No Model.)

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UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Q. JUVENILE, or GREENFIELD, orno.

DASH-FOOT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent N0. 671.890, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed January 28, 1901. e'erial No. 45,076. \No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN Q. JUVENILE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Dash- Foot, of which the follo'wingis a specification.

This invention relates to dashboard-fastenings for vehicles; and the object in viewis to provide a simple, eifective, and secure fastening device for attaching dashboards to vehiclebodies, so that the dashboards may be easily and readily applied thereto and removed therefrom .when occasion requires. The fastening device embodies, essentially, a dash-foot or a plurality of dash-feet, and each dash-foot is so formed that when the dashboard is fastened in'place the exposed surface of the dash-foot will be left perfectly smooth and unobstructed and will be free from all unsightly projections in the form of nuts, bolts, and screw-heads, &c. Each dashfoot is so constructed and arranged with respect to the vehicle-body and dashboard that it obtains a double hold on the dashboard and also on the vehicle-body, so that movement or play of the dash-foot is impossible. These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a fastening device for dashboards embodying certain novel features and details of construction and disposition of parts, as hereinafter fully set forth,illustrated in the drawings,and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an interior perspective view of the forward portion of a vehicle-body, showing a dashboard applied thereto and held in place by means of the improved fastening devices. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through one of the dash-feet and also through the front board and one of the uprights of the vehiclebody, also showing a portion of the dashboard in section and the particular relation existing between the parts named. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of a dash-foot. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing one corner of the dashboard-frame, including one of the slotted extensions.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the dash-foot is seen to comprise a straight body portion 1, having its upper end extended laterally to constitute a forwardly -projecting terminal portion 2, adapted to abut against and rest upon the top edge of the front board of the vehicle-body, (designated by the numeral 3.) The forward edge of the terminal portion 2 is beveled from opposite sides to form a pointed and laterally-elongated key 4, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. Located below the terminal portion 2 is a cylindrical boss 5, which is preferably formed integrally with the body 1 of the dash-foot and which projects in a forward direction therefrom, the said boss being hollow and internally threaded to receive the threaded shank of a stud-bolt or screw 6. The body 1 of the dash-foot is provided adjacent toits lower end and on its forward face with a projection or tapering knob 7, which is adapted to be'embedded in a depression 8 in one of the uprights 9 of the vehicle-body. In Fig. 1 I have shown only two of such uprights, the same constituting the corner pieces or braces of the vehiclebody; but the vehicle-body may comprise in addition to the corner-uprights intermediate uprights, to which additional dash-feet may be applied if considered necessary. For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, however, I have shown only two dash-feet, the same being applied to the opposite corneruprights arranged at the junction of the sides and front board of the vehicle-body.

In order to provide for the reception of the bosses 5, the uprights 9 and the front board 10 are provided with registering openings 11, of approximately the same size as the boss 5, and said boss is of such length as to extend nearly or quite through the upright and front board, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to receive the bolt or screw 6 and enable the lower portion of the dashboard to be held firmly against the front of the vehicle-body. The terminal portion 2 of the dash-foot rests against the top of the upright 9 and also against the top edge of the body or against the metal corner-braces 12, which are ordinarily used in fastening together and strengthening the sides and ends of the wagon-body at their upper edges.

The dashboard 13 may be of any suitable construction and for the purpose of illustration is shown as comprising a frame 14: of a general rectangular shape and covered with one or more plies 15 of leather or other suitable material, which is stitched, as shown in Fig. 1, at opposite sides of each of the bars of the dashboard-frame. The frame is provided with pendent slotted extensions formed integral with the lower bar of the dashboardframe, and each extension is provided with a hole 17 to receive one of the bolts or screws 6 and also provided with a slot 18 adjacent to the junction of the slotted extension with the dashboard-frame, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The plies of leather with which the dashboard-frame is covered are extended far enough to cover the slotted extensions 16, beneath which they are united by stitching or otherwise, as shown in Fig. 2.

The dashboard is adjusted into the relation to the vehicle-body shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the dash-feet are also applied to the uprights in the manner illustrated. The bolts or screws 6 are then passed through the holes 17 in the slotted extensions and screwed into the cylindrical bosses 5 of the dash-feet. This draws the dashboard and the feet together and causes them to bind firmly against the front of the vehicle-body and the uprights, and by reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the keys 4 register with the slots 18, engaging the leather or covering material of the dashboard and forcing the same into the slots 18, thus securing a positive engagement between the overhanging terminal portions of the feet and the frame of the dashboard, while engagement is effected at other points by means of the securing bolts or screws 6.

It will now be seen that each fastening device serves to provide a double hold on the dashboard-frame and also a double engagement bet ween each dash-foot and the vehiclebody independent of and outside of the engagement between the terminal portion 2 and the top of the upright and front board of the vehicle-body- The projection 7 serves to prevent any lateral movement or looseness of the body of the dash-foot. The shank of the securing bolt or screw is also preferably pointed to facilitate its insertion through the hole 17 and into the internally-threaded cylindrical boss 5. The construction hereinabove set forth not only facilitates the application of a dashboard to a vehicle-body and the removal of the same therefrom, but also constitutes a very secure connection between the parts and, besides, attains the very important advantage of presenting a perfectly smooth and unobstructed surface within the vehicle-body, the exposed surface of each dash-foot being entirely free from unsightly projections, such as nuts, bolts, or screw-heads. The only evidence of the nut or fastening device consists in the heads of the securing bolts or screws 6, which are presented at the front of the vehicle and which may be nickeled or plated with gold or silver and given a high polish or other desired ornamentation, thus in reality adding to the finished appearance of the vehicle-body. Suitable washers may beinterposed between the heads of the securing-bolts 6 and the forward surface of the dashboard, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A dashboard comprising a frame having a slotted extension, in combination with a dash-foot having a projecting key which is constructed to bear against the leather or other cover of the dashboard and to force a portion of such cover into the slotted portion of the frame extension.

2. A dashboard comprising a frame having an extension provided with a slot and a hole, in combination with a dash-foot, having a terminal projecting portion forming a key to cooperate with the slot, an internally-threaded boss projecting from the body of the foot, and athreaded fastening passing through the hole in the frame extension and into the boss.

3. A dashboard, comprisinga frame having an extension provided with a slot and a hole, in combination with a dash-foot having a terminal projecting portion adapted to rest upon the top of the vehicle-body, and to cooperate with the said slot, an internally-threaded boss projecting from the body of the foot, and passing through an opening in the front of the vehicle-body, a threaded fastener passing through the hole in the frame extension, and into the boss, and a projection adjacent to the lower end of the foot adapted to engage in a depression in the vehicle-body.

4:. As an article of manufacture, a dashfoot, comprising a straight body portion, an

angularly-projecting terminal portion at one end, a projection or knob adjacent to the opposite end thereof, and an internally-threaded cylindrical boss,projecting from the same side of the body as the angular terminal portion, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN Q. JUVENILE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. MACKERLEY, J. L. CALDWELL. 

